A Love Most Unexpected
by MaryAnnEwing
Summary: When her life is threatened, Bella begins to question everything she thinks she knows about love and life. Can Jacob help her pick up the pieces when Edward fails to do so? Rated M for future content.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It's difficult being a woman in a man's world. I always saw myself as one of the guys, until I started on my new career. The men I work with have made me realize that I am very much a woman.

Oh, I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Isabella Cullen. I am a correctional officer at Seattle State Prison in Washington. My husband is Professor Edward Cullen, Ph.D. He teaches at Washington State in Seattle. We have a beautiful condo in the city, fully equipped with our six-year-old son, Anthony, and our English bulldog, affectionately named Wrinkles.

The day I announced my decision to work in a prison, I was met with nothing but arguments. My husband begged me to go back to teaching. My mother told me I was being flighty, as if she had any room to talk. My 45-year-old mother who still acts 15, that left me with my father at the young age of two because she wanted to travel the world before she settled down.

My father was the only one who showed any kind of understanding. "Bells," he said. "Please. If you really want to go into the law enforcement field, just join me. I can always use another good officer." My father, Charlie Swan, was the chief of police in the little town of Forks, Washington.

I shook my head at him. "Dad, I don't want to be a cop. I really want to be a correctional officer and eventually an instructor. I want to show them that women can do this too." He took a deep breath and sighed. "It's just so dangerous, honey. Yes, my job has its risks, but those men have nothing to lose."

I looked around at my family and decided it was time to stand my ground. "Listen, whether you support me or not, I'm doing this. I have always stood behind you all with everything you wanted to do. All I'm asking is for the same consideration."

My father was the only one who came around. I call him every morning to tell him about my night. No one else wants to hear about it, so I keep them out of the loop. It's just easier that way. Not that I get to see them much anyway. I work the night shift, 7 pm to 7 am. Edward drops little Tony off at school on his way to work. I get home, sleep until about 2, pick up my baby boy, and fix dinner. Edward comes in about 6, and I leave a half an hour later.

So, as I was saying before, the men at work constantly remind me I'm a woman. Unfortunately, I had to get my uniform a little large to hide my assets. Ah, the wonderful uniform. A collared, polo shirt, fatigue pants, and boots. I keep my long dark hair pulled into a bun, and I refuse to wear make-up. It doesn't keep them from staring, though. Even if it's been five years, I still remember my first day on shift after I finished my certification training.

_I walked into the briefing room alone, being the newest officer to join the ranks. Even though I was early, there was already a room full of officers; all but two of them were men. The two women both looked to be in their 50s. When the door slammed behind me, all eyes turned. I suddenly lost all of my confidence. My red shirt felt two sizes two small even though it was extremely roomy._

_I chose the closest chair to me, at an empty table. Everyone went back to their conversations, casting the occasional glance my way. I began to question leaving my cushy job at the high school, teaching biology to a new group of freshmen each year. I pulled out a little notebook and a pen and began to doodle, just to calm my nerves._

_The door opened again and in walked a group of very handsome men. They were all tall, well over six feet tall, with dark hair and brown eyes, and they were built. They moved to the other end of the table I was at and sat down. I went back to my doodling, hoping that things would begin to look up. I could still feel the eyes of the male officers on me the entire time I sat there, especially from the group of men that were sitting at the same table as me._

_The supervisor walked in and began briefing, including making me stand up and introduce myself. I was positive if I looked in a mirror, my face would have matched my shirt. When we were given our assignments for the night, I was assigned to work with an older officer who had been at the prison for 10 years already._

_The night was filled with learning the procedures of running a prison dormitory and writing up inmates who decided they wanted to masturbate out in the open while staring at me. Yeah, not my favorite part of the day. During the down times, Officer Smith was kind enough to put names to the faces I had seen during briefing. I found out that the hotties that walked in weren't just figments of my imagination. They had names as well: Sam Uley, Seth Clearwater, Embry Call, Quil Ateara, and Jacob Black._

_I asked Officer Smith if the inmates' actions were normal, and he said that sadly, when it came to female officers, what few there were, yes, the actions were normal. Great. Thankfully, the night went pretty fast. When I got home, the house was empty and quiet. I went to bed and slept soundly until 2 o'clock._

Five years later, I no longer sit at the table doodling. I've made a couple of acquaintances that I talk to before briefing. I mostly talk with Angela Cheney. She's really sweet and married to another officer, Ben. She said she went through the same thing I did when she first started there. I've talked to her so much, in fact, that she has become one of my best friends. The down side, she doesn't bite her tongue when it comes to her opinions. That includes the opinion she has of my husband.

We had just finished briefing and were getting ready to go to our buildings. As I walked out the door, I felt my cup leave my hand. When I turned around, I saw Black standing there with a grin on his face. "Hey! Give me that back before I kick your ass." He laughed as I took it and walked away with Angela.

We got to our building and received the daily run down from the first shift officers. Thankfully, everything had been nice and quiet. We sat down to complete our paperwork before I made my rounds. She kept shooting glances my way, and I finally couldn't take it anymore. "What's on your mind, Cheney?"

She turned to face me, a half smile on her face. "Black was flirting with you."

"Oh, man. Don't even go there. He and I are both married. And, besides, he's one of the few out here who sees me as one of the guys. We've even been going to the gym together for the last two years. He's the one who helped me get on the tact squad, remember?" I went back to my papers, knowing that I only had a few more minutes before my first set of rounds.

Tactical squad was another thing Edward wasn't happy about. He wasn't thrilled about the twice a month training we went to. My father was very proud of that accomplishment, though. He made sure he told everyone he knew.

"Girl, I've seen the way the guys look at you, including Black. They may talk to you like one of the guys, but honey, they know you have female parts." I could hear her shuffle her papers and start writing again.

I stood and began collecting the items I needed. I took my keys off the hook and attached them to my chain, slipping them into my left pocket. I slid the radio into the holster on my left hip and attached the mic to my collar. My baton and flashlight went into their own holders on my right hip and a set of cuffs went into a holder at the small of my back. I clipped my pager further back on my right side to make the items a little more comfortable.

Angela pushed the button allowing me to enter the building so that I could make my rounds. I checked all of the fire exits, making sure they were all locked and secure. I received the usual greetings from the inmates, all of them wanting to tell me the latest gossip. The last five years have made them finally realize that when I am on shift, it is _my_ building. They understand that and show me the respect I deserve because they know I'll give them respect in return.

When I walked back into the control room, Angela told me that we would be getting a new inmate. Great, just what we needed. Someone new to teach the rules to. She opened the door, and I walked out to meet the officer who was bringing in the new arrival. It was Black.

"Hey, Cullen. Here's your new one." I walked over and took the information card from him. Wonderful, another 18-year-old. They were the ones we always had the worst time with. The inmate, Riley Xavier, gave me a dirty look while licking his lips. I told him what bunk he was going to and watched while he walked away.

I turned back and looked at Black. "Why me? Why do they always give me the young wanna-be thugs?"

Black shrugged. "I don't know. Just lucky I guess. I will tell you, though. We had a lot of problems with him in segregation. Don't be surprised if he doesn't last long down here."

I nodded. "Thanks for the warning." As I went to walk away, I felt his hand on my shoulder. When I turned around, he had a look on his face that bothered me. "I'm serious. He's a dangerous one. Be careful." I walked away, a feeling of dread washing over me.

**Alright guys. Let me know what you think so far. I hope you enjoy this. I'm actually able to use some real life stuff in this one. I work in a prison myself. Review please.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for the response to this story so far. I'm enjoying writing it so it means a lot that you are enjoying reading it. Well, without further ado, here's the next chapter.**

Chapter 2

Two weeks passed with no problems from inmate Xavier. Angela and I were a little concerned with who his roommate was though. Cam James was known for being a violent son of a bitch. Much like Xavier, James spent a lot of time in segregation before finding his way to my building. He moved in only a week earlier than Xavier.

I finished my rounds and made my way back into the control room. I sat down to work on more papers and was faced with a very nosy friend. "So, how are things at home?"

I sighed. I should have known this was coming. "They're fine, Ang. All's quiet on the home front."

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to look at her. "So, Edward is starting to come around finally?" Her expression contained the usual worry.

"I guess so." The look on her face told me we weren't done with this discussion. "So, he quit going through your phone? He's trying to be romantic with you?"

I shrugged and went back to my papers. "Yeah, I didn't think so." I put my pen down and turned back around. "What are you getting at, Cheney?" I was becoming a little frustrated with this conversation.

"Honey, if he doesn't trust you, it's because he has something to hide himself. He doesn't want you working here or anywhere for that matter. He doesn't want you to hang out with me and Ben, let alone any of the others we work with. But, he also doesn't want to spend any time with you himself. Do you not see something wrong with this picture?"

I stood and walked over to the window, looking out at the center of the compound. We have had this conversation so many times. Angela made a valid point, she really did. But, I want to believe that she's wrong.

"You know. Black and his wife separated. Apparently, she's been cheating on him. He found out and confronted her. She walked out and moved in with her parents." I could hear the hint in her voice.

"Ang, please. I'm begging you. Don't go there." I won't deny that there's an attraction between me and Black. He's a handsome man. Only a blind woman wouldn't be attracted to him. But, we are friends and only friends. I made this clear to Angela.

"Izzie, just please think about what I'm telling you." I nodded, knowing that agreeing would be the only way to get her to drop the subject.

I walked in the house to the usual silence. Angela's words were still echoing through my head. Thankfully I was off the next day because I couldn't sleep. Was she right? Was Edward hiding something?

I've been in love with that man for the last 10 years. We met in college while studying for our teaching degrees. We dated for our last two years as undergrads, eloping the night of graduation. Our second year teaching at the high school, I found out I was expecting Anthony. The next year I started working at the prison, and the year after that, Edward earned his Ph.D. Our life has been a fairy tale. Until the last year or so.

Edward has become more untrusting of me, always searching through my work things, checking my cell phone for messages and calls. He's pulled away, never wanting to be intimate anymore, even on my days off when we have the opportunity. Even Angela, who doesn't even spend time around Edward, has noticed the extra tension. Hence, her over protectiveness of me.

When I realized I wouldn't be sleeping, I decided to run to the gym. It's only a 10 minute run, so I got changed and headed out. As my feet pounded on the pavement, I could feel the stress start to drain away. When I got there, a very familiar truck was in the parking lot. Jacob Black. Wonderful. Any other time I loved working out with him, but I wasn't sure I could take the extra stress right now.

I went inside, stowed my bag in the locker room, and headed back out to the weight machines. After stretching for a few minutes, I sat down at the lat machine. After setting the right weight, I grabbed the bar and started pumping out the reps. A voice behind me stalled my actions.

"You might want to slow down there, Cullen. Don't burn out in the first five minutes." I smiled.

"Jealous, Black? Just because I can go longer than you…" He scoffed and sat at the machine next to mine.

I went back to my workout, feeling his eyes on me. I decided it was time to bite the bullet. "Jacob," yes, we occasionally use first names, "I heard about what happened. I'm sorry." We stopped at the same time.

I looked over to see him with a pained expression on his face. "I guess it was bound to happen. We all know that marriages suffer if the spouse doesn't understand the job."

I placed my hand on his arm. "If you need to talk, you know I'm a good listener." He nodded. "I know. And, you can call me Jake, Isabella."

I smiled. "Okay, but only if you call me something other than Isabella." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'll call you Bells."

He flashed me a goofy grin causing me to laugh. "And, that's the reason why." I must have had a confused look on my face because he continued. "Your laugh is like the sound of tinkling bells." I laughed again. "Okay."

The next two hours passed with us joking and working out. When I checked my watch and realized what time it was, I excused myself to go shower and pick up Tony. We waved to each other in the parking lot, and I noticed that for the first time in days, I felt like a weight had been lifted off of my chest.

I was making dinner when Edward walked in that evening. "Damn it, Isabella." Great. He was in a wonderful mood tonight. "Couldn't you at least clean the living room?"

"It was clean five minutes ago. What's wrong with it?"

I felt a rough hand grab my arm. When I turned around, Edward was standing there looking angry. "Don't get an attitude with me. You've been home all day. You could have vacuumed the floor. There's dirt by the front door."

I jerked my arm away. "Do not go there, Edward. A little dirt never killed anyone. Besides, this is _our_ house. It wouldn't hurt you to help a little to."

He swung so fast I didn't have an opportunity to react. My jaw suddenly ached, and my eye felt liked it was going to explode. I touched my lip and came away with a little blood on my fingers.

"Oh my god, Isabella. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to." I held up a hand to stop his apologies. Thankfully, Anthony was in his room. I simply walked away to my room and locked the door behind me after checking in on him.

"Isabella, please." A knock sounded from the other side of the door. "Open the door. Let's talk about this. I didn't mean to do it, honey. Really. I'm sorry, baby."

I stood and walked to the door. When I opened it, I was met with my husband, tears running down his face. The sight broke me in two. I held out my arms, and he walked into them, sobbing into my neck. "Baby, please forgive me."

"It's okay, Edward. I shouldn't have upset you." He took my face in his hands and gently kissed my jaw and lip where they were already starting to swell. We went back into the kitchen, and he finished dinner after bringing me some ice.

I told Anthony, when he asked during dinner, that I walked into a door. I couldn't ever have him thinking bad about his daddy. After the dinner dishes were cleaned up, we all sat down and watched a movie together, enjoying my night off.

Little Tony fell asleep half way through "Finding Nemo," so we put him in bed and went to our own room. We made love for the first time in months that night.

I avoided both the gym and Angela the next day, grateful for the night off. It gave me the entire day to figure out how to hide the bruising on my face and arm. I finally came up with the right combination of foundation and concealer. I used the same combination the next night at work. What I didn't expect was the rain.

I was outside checking the yard for any contraband when the sky opened up on me. Angela let me in, and I went into the bathroom to dry off. I came out and sat down, ready to start my paperwork. Her sudden gasp caught my attention.

"Izzie, what happened?" I looked at her like she was crazy.

"What are you talking about, Cheney?" She pointed to my cheek. Shit.

"Oh, that. Tony and I were playing ball, and I missed. He didn't." She looked kind of skeptical but let the subject drop. Whew! That could have been bad.

**APOV**

When Izzie went in to make her rounds, I picked up the phone. I knew I had at least 20 minutes. I punched in the number I knew by heart, as it was the building my husband worked in. Only, he wasn't the one I was calling.

"Seg. Cheney speaking. How can I help you?" Man I loved hearing his voice.

"Hey, honey. Can you put Black on?" I must have revealed my worry in my tone.

"Babe, what's wrong? Everything okay up there?" I nodded then realized he couldn't see me.

"Yeah. I just need to talk to him about something."

"Okay. Here he is." I could hear the phone shuffle hands.

"Black." His deep voice vibrated over the line.

"Hey, it's Cheney. I know we don't talk very often, but I know that we are both pretty close to Cullen."

"Yeah?" I could hear the curiosity he was feeling.

"Well, I think she's having some problems at home." I knew Izzie would kill me if she found out I was talking to Black about this.

"Why? Has she said anything?"

"No, she said it was a ball accident, but she has a really bad bruise on her cheek and a small cut on her lip." I could hear him take in a deep breath.

"Have they been having any other problems?" I filled him in on everything I knew. Unfortunately, before he could respond, Izzie came back to the door.

"I have to go, Black. She's waiting to get in."

"Alright, just keep an eye out. If anything else happens, let me know." His voice held both threat and promise. I knew I did right in calling him.

"I will." We hung up as I let Izzie in. The look on her face worried me. "What's wrong?"

"I think we might have a problem." She was reaching into her pocket as I asked, "Why? What happened?"

"I was doing a shake down and found these." She pulled three shanks out of her pocket.

**Well, what did you think? Review and let me know.**

Terminology:

Seg is short for segregation. It is lock down, or isolation from the general population.

Shake down – search

Shank – homemade knife


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

We didn't speak of the incident again. We both took blame for causing it and let it drop. Unfortunately, after that night, things went right back to the way they were. Edward was still distant, and I was still worried about losing my husband.

Angela was kind enough never to mention my mysterious bruise. In fact, it's almost like it never happened. Thankfully, she never knew about the one on my arm where he grabbed me. We had more important things to worry about anyway. Tension was building in our building at work, causing us to wonder when the shit was going to hit the fan.

It has been a month since I found the shanks. After that night, I began increasing the frequency of my rounds. The last thing we wanted was someone getting hurt in our dorm.

It was on one of those rounds that I realized something was off. I wasn't quite sure what it was. I found a spot by a central wall and looked around, taking in everything. The inmates weren't acting any different than normal, except for the tension. It was on my way back out of the building I realized what was off. The handles on the doors to their TV room were missing. They were there when I left work that morning, so they had to have been removed between my shifts. Not good.

I went back to the control room and called it in. I was told to keep my eyes open until they could arrange a shake down. I sat down and looked at Angela. I could tell something was bothering her. "Ang, what's wrong?"

"I'm worried." She turned to me, her expression saying just that.

"About what? You know we have this under control."

She shook her head. "It isn't work, Iz. You know it." I knew this was coming. "It's Edward."

"Ang, we've discussed this. It was a simple misunderstanding. We argue all the time."

Again, she shook her head. "Izzie, I know that the bruise you had didn't come from Anthony and you playing ball. Edward hit you."

I turned my back so she couldn't see my face. I guess I didn't convince her as well as I'd thought. "No, we were playing ball, and I missed the catch. Edward wouldn't ever do that."

I could hear her sigh deeply. "Alright, Izzie. But, if anything ever happens, promise me you'll tell me. Or someone."

"I promise." I looked at my watch and realized it was time to lock down the inmates for the night.

I made my way in to begin locking them down. Something was off. They were locking down the way they normally did, but they were staying by their doors and keeping their lights on. They seemed to be watching what I was doing as opposed to worrying about themselves. Usually, they would be going about their business and getting ready to go to sleep.

I got to the last door, the cell that held Xavier and James, and all hell broke loose. They came running out. James grabbed me, holding my arms to my side and a shank to my neck. Xavier was in front of me with one aimed at my stomach. I couldn't reach my mic so I did the only thing I could think of. Knowing I couldn't fight at this moment without my throat being sliced, I began to scream.

"10-78! 10-78! Officer needs…" A hand clamped over my mouth, cutting me off.

The other inmates began to yell for Angela. "Mrs. Cheney! Mrs. Cheney! Mrs. Cullen needs help!" That was why they were acting weird. They knew something was going to happen but couldn't tell because of being retaliated against. But, they were trying to help now.

I could only slightly hear the call on the radio. _"10-78 in Delta. 10-78 in Delta."_ The message came through fuzzy which told me that, from the way they were holding me, my mic was keyed. That meant that the whole compound would be able to hear me.

"Xavier. James. You don't want to do this." I tried my best to keep my voice calm, but on the inside, I was horrified. This could go horribly wrong.

The shank at my neck pressed harder. "I've wanted to do this for a while," James replied. "I just needed the right roommate to help."

Xavier grinned viciously as he pushed us all into the room. He shut the door behind us. Yes, I am trained in self-defense. It does not prepare us for a two on one situation. I would definitely be needing back up now.

My head hit the cement floor hard enough to make my vision blur. "This is going to be bad for you. You should really rethink this."

The response I got was my shoulders being held to the floor by James as Xavier stomped on my left leg. I screamed as the pain hit. I heard James say, "Do it." It was followed by a sharp pain in my abdomen. My vision began to fade in and out as the pain overtook me. The last thing I heard was the door being clicked open.

**JPOV**

Seg was actually boring tonight. No one wanted to fight. If we moved someone out, they didn't refuse to go. Unfortunately, it left me with a lot of time to think about Bells and her situation. Why would someone want to hit on a woman as beautiful as her? It's just insane. Yes, I find her very attractive. She is so much different than my cheating soon-to-be ex-wife.

I was sitting around with the other guys. They wanted to make plans to go back home this weekend since we had the weekend off. We all came from a little place called La Push. We grew up together on the reservation there.

Because it had been so quiet, the sound of the radio coming to life startled all of us. At first, it was only static. Then we heard the sound we all dread, _"10-78! 10-78! Officer needs…"_

The voice sounded so familiar. But, over the distorted radio it was hard to tell. More than likely, the officer in trouble had a keyed mic. The next sound we heard confirmed my fears as well as told us where we needed to go. _"Mrs. Cheney! Mrs. Cheney! Mrs. Cullen needs help!"_ Bells always said that the inmates in her building were loyal. That just proved it.

We were out the door before we heard Cheney confirm the location. _"10-78 in Delta. 10-78 in Delta."_ The guys and I were already half way to the building as we heard all the other doors being popped open to let out the other officers. The rule is, if there is a 10-78, everyone available responds.

We could hear everything going on in the radios. It's pretty eerie to hear it and not be able to do something about it. It sounded like she was trying to talk the inmates down, but it wasn't going over well.

"_Xavier. James. You don't want to do this."_ Her voice sounded strong, but I know she has to be scared. I would be too if in that situation.

The next thing we heard was what lit a fire under us, not that we could move any faster.

"_I've wanted to do this for a while. I just needed the right roommate to help."_ I wasn't sure which one it was, but I knew the two it would be involving. Xavier and James.

I heard a door slam through the radio. They had her in a cell now.

"_This is going to be bad for you. You should really rethink this."_ She barely got that out before she screamed. The agonizing sound of it cut right to my soul.

We heard one of them say, _"Do it."_ She screamed again.

We got to the door and Angela already had it open for us. We ran inside and flew up the stairs. The cell door clicked, and we barged our way in. While the others pinned and cuffed Xavier and James, I went straight to Bella's side. She had what looked like a broken leg and a bad cut on her abdomen.

I keyed my mic and began calling for extra assistance. "Medical needed in Delta. Officer down." I kept pressure on her belly, hoping it was enough until help arrived.

Seth, Quil, Embry, and another officer, Paul, escorted the two inmates out. Sam walked up behind me. "The other inmates threatened them the whole way out. They want to know how she is."

I looked up at him. Rage was coursing through me, and he must have seen it because he stooped down beside me. "Dude, calm down. It won't do any good to do anything rash. Focus on her. They'll get theirs. Remember who we have in seg."

He had a point. Some of Bella's biggest fans were currently locked up right now.

I looked back down at her, terrified by what I saw. She was starting to turn extremely pale. As I checked her over for any other injuries, I found a cut on her neck. It wasn't deep enough to do any life threatening damage, but it would probably need a few stitches.

I was just about to call medical again when they came running in. They pushed me out of the way so that they could work on her and try to get her stable. It took about 10 minutes and just as soon as she was, they loaded her on the stretcher and took her out to the waiting golf cart. I heard on the radio the tower operator letting in the ambulance. It was going to be a long night.

**So, what do ya'll think so far? Review and let me know.**

Terminology:

10-78 - officer needs assistance


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry it has taken me so long to get another chapter uploaded. Things have been crazy lately. I have been receiving great reviews so far for this story. I hope you continue to enjoy it.**

Chapter 4

**APOV**

Seeing Izzie being wheeled out on the stretcher and not being able to go with her killed me. I wouldn't be able to leave for another hour. I know Black was feeling the same way.

The supervisors would be calling Edward, but I knew one they wouldn't so I picked up the phone and dialed the number I had memorized in case this moment ever came up.

"_Hello?"_

"Hi, Chief Swan?" My heart was racing at the thought of giving this man the news that his daughter was currently fighting for her life.

"_Yes."_

"I don't know if you remember me. I'm Izzie's friend, Angela." I had gone to her father's house one summer with her. She took me to a beach that she went to often as a child.

"_Yeah, I remember. How are you?"_ He was always so kind to me. I hated being the one to break his heart.

"I'm good, sir. Listen, the reason I called…Well, I'm afraid I have news." I heard his sharp intake of air.

"_Oh, no. What happened to Bella?"_ His voice was trembling over the line causing me to choke up. When I spoke next, tears were falling down my cheeks.

"She was attacked, sir. She's being taken to Seattle General right now." I wiped the tears off my cheeks.

"_I'm on my way."_ He hung up before I could tell him anything else.

**CPOV**

I knew her job was dangerous, but I always hoped I'd never see the day where my daughter would be critical in the hospital. When I arrived, I was met by her father-in-law, Carlisle Cullen. The expression on his face did nothing to calm my nerves.

"Charlie," he shook my hand in greeting.

"How is she, doc?" I couldn't help but wonder if my face showed the emotions my voice held.

"She's stable. We had to remove her right kidney and set her leg. She'll be here a couple weeks. I know she won't like it, but she'll be out of work for a couple months while she heals. After that, what happens is up to her boss."

I felt my heart rate slow down. There were no words to express just how much better his news made me feel. "Can I go see her?"

"Yeah, she's on the fourth floor, room 1478. Edward's in there with her. A few of her friends are in the waiting room. As it is ICU, only one is allowed in with her at a time."

"I understand." After a final handshake, I ran off to find my baby girl.

**EPOV**

As I sat there watching my wife, I was filled with many emotions. I was relieved that she was okay. I felt guilty because I would rather have been somewhere else. I felt even guiltier that I felt that way.

I felt my cell phone buzz in my pocket. I pulled it out to see who was calling. As I was about to answer it, the door opened. I silenced it instead, returned it to my pocket, and turned to see who was coming in. It was my father-in-law, Charlie.

"Chief Swan, how are you?" I stood to shake his hand.

"I'm okay. Can I have some time alone with Bella, Edward?" He looked haggard, not surprising considering the circumstances.

I nodded and walked out, thankful for the break. It would give me time to call and check on Anthony as well as return the call I missed.

I punched in the number for my parents' house. My mother answered, her voice still carrying an undertone of worry. My parent's loved Isabella like their own.

"_Hello?"_

"Hey, mom. I was just calling to see how Anthony is doing." I was hoping she didn't plan on staying on the line long.

"_He's good. Sleeping like the angel he is. How's Isabella?"_ I could feel the guilt creeping over me again. I could also feel eyes on me. When I turned around, I noticed a few of the guys from the prison watching me. One in particular, Jacob Black, made me a little nervous. He was giving me a look that said he wanted to beat me, but I'd never even said more than a handful of words to the man, so I wasn't sure why. I moved further down the hall so they wouldn't overhear me.

"She's stable. Dad took really good care of her. He said she'll have a few months of healing, but she should recover fine." I was getting antsy. I really wanted to make another call.

"_Okay, honey. Well, I'll let you get back in there to her. Give her my love, son. I love you."_ Oh the guilt. It just kept on coming.

"I love you too, mom." I hung up and took a deep breath to calm myself back down. I punched another number into my phone and waited for the other end to be answered.

"_Hello, love."_ Leah. The girl drove me insane. I started seeing her two years ago when she was taking one of my Literature classes at the university. She's beautiful with long black hair and dark brown eyes. She came from a little town just south of where Isabella is from.

"Hello, darling. I'm sorry I couldn't answer the phone earlier. I was interrupted." I could almost hear her smile on the other end.

"_It's okay. Are you coming over tonight? I know you're at the hospital, so if you can't make it, it's okay."_ She was so understanding. _"You know where my new apartment is at, right?"_

"Yes, I'll be there. Her father came in so he will probably want to stay with her. I'll just tell him I'm going home to be with Anthony." She's the reason I can't be intimate with Isabella anymore. Leah in bed is about 1,000 times more exciting.

"_Alright. I'll see you in a little bit then. I love you."_

"I love you too." I hung up, a mixture of guilt and excitement running through me. I let my father-in-law know I was leaving. I did feel bad because he said he understood my need to be with Little Tony right now. If only he knew. I left the hospital, after receiving another dirty look from Black, and headed towards the apartments on campus.

**JPOV**

I watched as Bella's deadbeat husband ran off. I couldn't believe him. He probably didn't realize how much voices carried down the hallways. I heard when he said he loved whomever it was he was talking to. I guess Angela's suspicions were correct.

If Bella was my wife, I'd treat her like the angel she is. I had no intention of leaving this hospital until I had to work. I didn't have anything to go home to. My wife, Leah, was cheating on me. So, when I found out, she left me. No big loss there. Just five years of love. We didn't have any children, thankfully.

I looked over at Angela and realized she was watching me intently. I walked over to her and sat down.

"Can you believe him?" I knew there was anger in my voice, but I didn't find it in me to care to mask it.

She looked at me with a sad expression on her face. "I've tried to warn her. I've told her more than once that he was hiding something, but she didn't want to believe me. I can't tell her about this. Not until she is back on her feet. And to think he's using that baby of theirs as an excuse to get out of here."

"I know. I'd never treat her like that. She deserves so much better than that." I caught her looking at me again with a thoughtful look on her face. "What?"

She just smiled and shook her head. "Nothing, Jacob. Nothing at all." She looked back at Bella's door.

Oh, that girl is up to something.

**For those who were questioning Little Tony's existence in this story, from here on out he will play a great role. As you can see, he is already the scapegoat for Edward to see his mistress. Well, I hope you are still enjoying this story. Please review and let me know what you thought.**


	5. Chapter 5

**For those of you who doubted the need for Tony's presence in the story, here is where he begins to take a bigger role. I hope you enjoy. Read and review. Thanks.**

Chapter 5

**BPOV**

It's been four months since the attack at the prison. My doctor has given me a full release, and my supervisors say I'm welcome to come back. So, tomorrow evening will be my first day back. To say I'm nervous would be an understatement.

I put Tony to bed and stood at his door just watching him sleep. He looked so peaceful, like he didn't have a care in the world.

I went back into the living room to wait for Edward to get home. I can't say that he's done a complete 180, but he has been a little more attentive. At least, he had been until a week ago when the doctor released me.

I was starting to doze on the couch when I heard the door open. I stood up to meet him at the door. When I tried to kiss him, he pulled away.

"What's wrong? Did you have a bad day at work?" I was really starting to worry about him.

"No, nothing is wrong." He hugged me to him, and I could smell a hint of whisky on him.

I pulled back and looked at him questioningly. "Have you been drinking?"

He gave me a look that said to back off. He went to walk by, and I grabbed his arm. He swung to avoid me and hit me in the face, just like the last time. Only, this time, he didn't bother to apologize. He tried to walk off, and I stopped him again.

"Tell me what's going on. I deserve that much." My voice was louder than I had planned.

He spun around, an angry look on his face. "You want to know what's going on? I'll tell you. I leave work, I go to my girlfriend's house, and then I go get a drink because I dread coming home to you. That's what's going on."

So, Ang was right? He was cheating on me.

"Well, I'll tell you what. Why don't you just go back to your little whore and never come back?" I hadn't meant to yell, but I did.

He didn't respond verbally. He took two steps forward and punched me in my jaw. I could immediately feel the blood pool in my mouth. In an act of spontaneous reaction, I swung back. I could hear the crack as his nose broke. As he pushed me into our glass coffee table, I heard the one sound I wish I'd never heard.

"Daddy, no! Don't hurt mommy!" I looked up from where I laid in the broken glass to see little Tony jumping on his daddy's back to try to help me. Edward twisted, and Tony went sliding across the floor into the wall.

The mama bear in me reared its head. I got to my feet as quickly as I could so that I could check on my son. When Edward attempted to stop me, I punched him in the gut and kicked him when he doubled over.

I grabbed up Anthony, my cell phone, and car keys and ran out the door. When I got to my car, I made sure he was buckled in tight and started the engine. As I pulled out the drive, I called the first number that came to mind.

"_Hello?"_ Angela sounded just as awake as I was. We always stayed up the night before shift.

"Ang?" I could hear the tremble in my voice so I knew it would be obvious to her as well.

"_Izzie? What's wrong?"_ The concern I heard touched my heart. She always has been a great friend.

"Ang, I need a place to stay. Me and Anthony."

"_Come on over. The spare room will be ready. What's going on?"_

"I'll tell you when I get there. Oh, and Ang? Thanks." I couldn't talk anymore without my voice breaking.

"_It's no problem, hon."_

We hung up, and I continued the short distance to her house, constantly checking on Tony in the back seat. I didn't have a chance to look him over before we left, but I definitely would when I got to Angela's.

When I pulled up, both Angela and Ben were waiting outside. I got out and ran around to the other side of the car before Ang could get a good look at me. Anthony was more important right now.

We went inside, and I took him into the kitchen so I could see him better. I checked him over for a good part of 30 minutes and only found a little red mark on his back. Satisfied that he would be okay, I took him into the spare room and laid him on the bed. Within ten minutes, he was fast asleep. I looked up to find both of the hosts lurking in the doorway. They were ready to talk.

We walked back into the kitchen and sat at the table. Angela already had my seat set with a cup of coffee and an ice pack. I took a sip, savoring the flavor. Then, very gently, I placed the ice pack on my face. They were looking at me expectantly.

"It's over. I can't stay with him any longer." I was so ashamed. I knew I should have left the first time he hit me. Instead, I gave into his crocodile tears.

Angela reached over and placed her hand on my free one. "What happened, Iz?"

"He came in drunk. I tried to stop him and make him talk to me and he slapped me when he pulled away. I asked what was going on. He told me he would go and get drunk after leaving his girlfriend's house because he didn't want to come home to me anymore. I told him to go back to his whore. He hit me again. I hit back and he pushed me into the coffee table. I'm sure there are probably cuts and bruises elsewhere. But, anyway, Tony came running out and jumped on his back begging him not to hit me anymore."

I stopped to get my emotions back in check. I took a sip of my coffee and a deep breath. Neither friend spoke, just sat quietly for me to continue.

"He spun around and Tony went sliding into the wall. He tried to stop me from checking on him, so I punched and kicked him and ran out."

Angela gave Ben a look that let him know she wanted a few minutes with me. "Iz, you have to call your dad. Let him know what happened. He has contacts here that can take care of things."

I nodded, knowing she was right. "I will."

She slid her phone across the table to me. "No, now."

I took it. She wouldn't stop until I did. I dialed the number and waited for my father to pick up.

"Hey dad." I still couldn't control the tremble in my voice.

"_Bells, what's going on?"_ His concern was evident.

I relayed my story to him as I had with Ang and Ben. To say he wasn't pleased would be the understatement of the year. He let me know he would have it taken care of within the hour.

"_Oh, and Bells?"_

"Yeah, dad?"

"_Don't go back to that place alone. Take someone with you."_

"Okay, dad. I love you."

"_I love you, too, honey."_

I handed the phone back to Angela. "Now, let's check you over." I stood up so she could inspect me and see if there was anymore damage.

She lifted my shirt and took a deep breath. As I spun so that she could inspect more, she would give the occasional gasp.

"Well, Izzie. You're going to be really bruised up. You have a few cuts on your back and side, but I think we can fix those here."

She turned me to look me in the eye. "I don't think make-up is going to cover it this time. Be ready for some serious looks at work."

I nodded. Work. I was so not looking forward to tomorrow.

**So, review and let me know what you thought.**


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